A small basic printer with no heating and therefore only suitable for PLA or TPU (I've not experimented with TPU yet), but that also makes it easy to use and inexpensive as a starter printer. Marketed under several brand names, including Weefun and Entina, as (effectively) a toy.
Nonetheless, perfectly functional if all you need is a basic printer, or as a cheap introduction to 3D printing before you shell out for a more capable machine.
Newcomers (where the Tina2 is targeted) need to bear in mind that the technical challenge of 3D printing is in the design process, while the craft is operating the printer and controlling the settings in the slicer software. You can avoid designing by downloading existing designs, or avoid slicing by downloading ready-to-print print files – but these must be specifically for the Tina2. The upgraded Tina2S is advertised as having a cloud print capability, so if that's what you want to do go for the Tina2S instead of the Tina2 (ignore the Tina2 with WiFi upgrade – that's not an equivalent for the Tina2S).
Specs
- Build volume: 100x120x100mm
- Filament: 1.75mm PLA/PLA Pro/TPU
- XYZ Resolution: 0.1mm
- Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm
- Print file media: microSD*
Likes
- Almost ready to use out of the box, with fitting the filament feed tube the only assembly required;
- Turn-key operation (assuming filament is loaded): Insert microSD card with gcode print file, turn on, select print file, print;
- Flexible magnetic removable build plate;
- Automatic compensation for build plate misalignment is built into the firmware;
- Small footprint, easy to accommodate almost like an ordinary computer printer.
- No end-of-filament warning, the print-in-progress will just get corrupted unless you spot it and intervene;
- Not designed for disassembly;
- Would prefer a USB media port instead of (or as well as) the microSD port.
Notes
- No doubt considering the target market, the X carriage and nozzle assembly is fitted with a guard, which stops little fingers getting to the moving and hot bit, but obscures visual monitoring of the print process and makes access for maintenance difficult. Two screws secure the guard, but they are difficult to get to (via the filament feed path slot).
- The Z axis calibration and bed levelling sensor (inductive proximity sensor, detecting the base plate under the magnetic build plate) failed after a few days' use of my "unused" second-hand purchase. I replaced it successfully, a new sensor costing £5 sourced from eBay, but the difficulty disassembling the unit made this more difficult than it needed to be. I regard the failure as "just bad luck", because these inductive sensors should be very robust.